The facts
What pink Opal actually is
Pink Opal is classified as common opal, with the composition SiO₂·nH₂O with palygorskite. It crystallises in the amorphous system.
Colour comes from not a metal chromophore: the pink comes from intimately mixed palygorskite clay and, in some material, organic pigment, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.43–1.46. Specific gravity around 1.95–2.20. Cleavage: none. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where pink Opal comes from
Pink Opal is produced at Acarí, Arequipa, Peru and San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How pink Opal is treated
Dyeing is a real problem in this material — pale opal is coloured to pass as fine Peruvian pink, and the dye sits in surface porosity. Genuine material is also porous and can be waxed. Keep it away from heat and solvents.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What pink Opal is confused with
In the trade pink Opal is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Dyed opal, Rhodochrosite, Thulite or Pink chalcedony.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.43–1.46 and specific gravity 1.95–2.20 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What pink Opal is used for
Demand for pink Opal comes from jewellery, carving and sculpture and decorative objects, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the carat, by the block or by the piece.
Durability and care
Hardness 5.5–6.5; cleavage none. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What pink Opal costs
As a guide, pink Opal trades around Cabochons 15–150 USD; fine Peruvian material 200 USD and up.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is pink Opal treated, and how?
Dyeing is a real problem in this material — pale opal is coloured to pass as fine Peruvian pink, and the dye sits in surface porosity. Genuine material is also porous and can be waxed. Keep it away from heat and solvents.
Where does pink Opal come from?
Acarí, Arequipa, Peru and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is pink Opal hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 5.5–6.5 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does pink Opal cost?
Indicatively Cabochons 15–150 USD; fine Peruvian material 200 USD and up. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is pink Opal confused with?
Most often Dyed opal, Rhodochrosite, Thulite and Pink chalcedony. A refractive index of 1.43–1.46 and a specific gravity near 1.95–2.20 separate it quickly.
What is pink Opal used for besides jewellery?
carving and sculpture and decorative objects. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for pink opal?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about pink opal